DFS Baseball Value Plays (6/15/16)

By Mark Dankenbring

Value Plays to Target by Position

When creating a lineup, there are always solid options to select at the top of each position pool. Whether it be Mike Trout in the outfield or Jose Altuve at second base, they are far ahead of the pack when it comes to consistent productivity. In order to separate yourself from the group of players who also choose the top options, it's key to pair these selections with successful bargain plays. Below you'll find players in each category that can serve as fillers when selecting top players in the league for other spots. Criteria for selection requires at or below a salary of $3,500 on DraftKings and $2,900 on FanDuel*.

C

Salvador Perez ($2,900 DK, $2,900 FD)

Perez comes into Wednesday on a tear over the past week. In his last six games he is hitting .500 with three homers. He faces a tough opponent in Corey Kluber on Wednesday, but faces division foe Detroit for the weekend, where he's very familiar with the opposing pitchers as well. In three games against the Tigers this season, Perez has two home runs and six RBIs. His recent hitting outburst makes him an attractive bargain play at the catcher position.

Robinson Chirinos ($2,700 DK, $2,200 FD)

Chirinos just recently came off the DL and is attempting to get into mid-season form quickly for the thriving Rangers. Chirinos ends this week with two more games in Oakland, where he hit a two-run bomb last night, and then heads to St. Louis in a rematch of the 2011 World Series. Chirinos faces the underperforming Sonny Gray, rookie Daniel Mengden, and then faces a starting pitching staff in St. Louis that has struggled keeping runs off the board. Look for Chirinos to have some offensive success and outperform his low salary fresh off the DL.

1B

Dae-Ho Lee ($3,100 DK, $2,600 FD)

Lee has shown promise at the first base position this year for the Mariners. He's hitting .296 on the year with ten homers and 24 RBIs in just 114 plate appearances. Lee also boasts a strong OPS of .907. The Mariners are set to face three lefties in a row, which Lee is hitting .280 against with six of his ten homers. These games also take place on the road, where Lee is hitting .326 as opposed to just .274 at home.

2B

Jurickson Profar ($3,100 DK, $2,900 FD)

Profar has been on fire for the Rangers after being called up a few weeks ago. As mentioned before with Chirinos, the Rangers have some favorable matchups ahead of them with Gray and Mengden in Oakland, and then heading to St. Louis for a weekend series. Profar's production so far is enough to earn him credibility and make him worth entering into your lineup at his current value.

Jean Segura ($2,700 DK, $2,000 FD)

The Diamondbacks' second baseman has been seeing the ball very well the past week, with 12 hits in his last six games. He faces off against Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday, which is obviously a tough matchup, but Segura has managed to go 2-10 against him. The D-backs then travel to Philadelphia where Segura will face off against another lefty in Adam Morgan in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park. With his hot streak recently and his awfully low value, it's not a bad idea to run Segura in your lineup this week.

3B

Yangervis Solarte ($3,400 DK, $2,700 FD)

Solarte comes into tonight after a down week offensively, but has the opportunity to turn things around at home this week/weekend. Solarte faces off against Justin Nicolino on Wednesday, and he's hitting .333 against lefties with two homers in just 24 at bats. Solarte seems to see the ball well against left handers, as he's drawn just as many walks against them as opposed to strikeouts. Solarte then closes out the weekend at home against the back end of the Nationals rotation. Look for him to break out of his slump and have some success at home over the next few days.

Cheslor Cuthbert ($2,200 DK, $2,500 FD)

Cuthbert has been playing a solid third base for the Royals after Mike Moustakas went down for the year. Through 30 games, Cuthbert is hitting .277 with four home runs. He doesn't boast the best slugging percentage, but Cuthbert has a hit in seven of his last eight games. As a fantasy option he offers consistency and reliability out of the eight hole in Kansas City, and is definitely valuable as a bargain play when just trying to fill out a cheap spot in your lineup.

SS

Gregorio Petit ($3,200 DK, $2,500 FD)

Petit comes in as one of the Angels most reliable hitters this season. Usually placed in the ninth hole as a second leadoff, Petit has found success as he's hitting .289 on the season with an OBP of .340. Over his last ten games, Petit has accumulated a hit in eight of those, including multi-hit games in four of them, as well as four doubles in that span. Even as a right-handed hitter, Petit has favorable splits against righties, batting .316 against them on the year, and he is in line to face right handed starters the next few games. Keep him in mind when filling in your shortstop position.

Jose Iglesias ($3,000 DK, $2,400 FD)

The Tigers' shortstop comes into Wednesday's game riding a 12-game hitting streak. After spending the majority of the year in the nine spot, Iglesias batted second on Tuesday, going 2-4 with two walks, a double, two runs scored, and an RBI. It's not confirmed if Brad Ausmus will keep Iglesias towards the top of the order, but Iglesias has been hitting great lately and actually has had some success against Wednesday's opposing pitcher Chris Sale. Iglesias is 6-14 lifetime against Sale, so look for him to have more success Wednesday and through the weekend.

OF

Mallex Smith ($3,400 DK, $2,600 FD)

Smith enters Wednesday's game having spent the last two in the leadoff spot for the Braves. Smith comes in only hitting .243 on the year, but when you break it down, Smith is hitting righties extremely well, sitting at .312, and struggling mightily against lefties, hitting .070 (3-43). Therefore, Smith comes in as an above average offensive player against right handed pitching, which he'll see a lot of over the next few days. Smith is in line to face Anthony DeSclefani and Dan Straily of the Reds, and then face off against Matt Harvey, Steven Matz (sit him), and Jacob deGrom over the next five games.

Avisail Garcia ($3,300 DK, $2,500 FD)

Garcia has hit safely in eight of his last ten games, and is hitting .321 over the last seven. He faces off against Mike Pelfrey on Wednesday, who he's gone 6-15 against in his career with a double and an RBI. Garcia then travels to Cleveland to face the Indians, where he's hitting .417 against the starter on Friday, Trevor Bauer, and has three hits including a homer against Saturday's starter, Danny Salazar. Look for Garcia to keep his hot hitting up through the weekend, and make him a nice value play in your lineup.

Franklin Gutierrez ($3,000 DK, $2,700 FD)

Gutierrez is predominantly a left-handed pitcher killer, and receives a majority of his at bats against lefties. Luckily for him and us, the Mariners square off against three left-handed starters in a row on the road. So far this season, Gutierrez is batting .314 against lefties on the road, including a .405 on-base percentage. Look for Gutierrez to have some success this weekend and potentially pop a few over the Green Monster in Boston.